Priscilla Bacon Lodge, close to the Norfolk and Norfolk University Hospital, has welcomed its first patients. And the next fundraising goal is to deliver a comprehensive bereavement service, as Fearn Ainsworth, Commercial Director for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity, explains
Thanks to the remarkable generosity of fundraisers and organisations from Norfolk and beyond, and support from an army of volunteers, the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity has announced that the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge has welcomed its first patients. Construction of the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge commenced in February 2022. The new Priscilla Bacon Lodge, close to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, is home to a state-of-the-art palliative care unit.
As well as inpatient beds, a day unit and a wellbeing centre, the Lodge will act as a hub for community-based services, enabling people to receive care in their own homes. It replaces the current Priscilla Bacon Lodge – on Unthank Road – and will build on the 44 years of outstanding care given to thousands of people around the county.
The gardens at the eight-acre site will make a significant contribution to the wellbeing of all who come to the Lodge. Each inpatient room has direct access to a private garden area, with doors wide enough for beds to be taken outside.
Communal areas such as the café, lounges and chapel lead onto and overlook a central courtyard, enjoying views over the wider landscape.
As the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge opens and welcomes the first patients, the Charity remains committed to enhancing the experience of patients and their loved ones, supplementing the core services, which will continue to be funded and delivered by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.
Fearn Ainsworth, Commercial Director for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity explains: ‘The Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity will continue to fundraise to deliver a comprehensive bereavement service which is the cornerstone of the holistic care provided by a hospice. It will also fund enhanced catering and the upkeep and augmentation of the beautiful gardens. In the future we hope to be able to support additional services such as art and music therapy, specialist equipment, patient and family transport.
‘These elements enrich care before, at the point of, and after death. Beyond this, research, education and training will be supported by the Charity, improving care at the new Lodge, in the community across Norfolk and beyond.’
More people will receive the best possible end-of-life care at the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge, as it will provide increased choice and access to the specific services they require when they need them. The Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity has worked with partners within the NHS, as well as other institutions and charities, to help provide better coordination of services, and to ensure these services are focussed on patients and their families.
Robert Carter, Chair of Trustees for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity adds: ‘We are thrilled that the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge is welcoming its first patients. Opening this new, much-needed facility is the culmination of a four-and-a-half year fundraising campaign, and it would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of so many individuals and organisations. We offer our sincere gratitude to every donor and supporter who has helped to provide Norfolk with the end-of-life care it deserves.’
Fundraising continues to support and enhance the experience of patients at the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please contact the Fundraising Team: 01603 331166, fundraising@priscillabaconhospice.org.uk or Fundraising Office, Priscilla Bacon Lodge, Century Place, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7YA.
Featured image of Fearn Ainsworth, Commercial Director for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity.
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